Tributes to Telford United legend and Express & Star executive Alan Harris, who has died aged 77

Tributes have been paid to Telford United legend turned Express & Star executive Alan Harris, who has died aged 77.

Mr Harris played more than 700 games for the Bucks during a 13-year career with the club, making him one of the longest-serving players in club history.

He played at Wembley in two separate FA Trophy finals, and World Cup winners Bobby and Jackie Charlton turned out for his testimonial in 1977.

He retired from Telford United in 1980, but went on to enjoy a successful career at Midland News Association, the parent company of the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, rising to the rank of managing director before his retirement, after 45 years’ service, in 2012.

Mr Harris grew up in Oakengates, and attended Trench Modern School.

He signed for the then Wellington Town in 1967 as an 18-year-old, following brief spells at Aston Villa and Wolves. He joined the Shropshire Star the same year, initially working as an administrator before later transferring to the advertising department.

Initially playing as an inside forward, he scored in four rounds of the inaugural FA Trophy, helping the renamed Telford United to Wembley in 1970 before losing to Macclesfield.

This disappointment was erased the following year when Telford beat Hillingdon in the final.

He later moved into defence, and was just 31 when he retired from the club, wanting to spend more time with his young family and also to concentrate on his career with the newspaper.

He played under 12 managers, including George Antonio, Geoff Hurst and Gordon Banks, and was inducted into the Telford United Hall of Fame in 2010.

While he stopped playing for the Bucks in 1980, he did not hang up his boots completely, continuing to play for Shifnal Town, and also becoming joint manager of Wellington Casuals.

Mr Harris joined the board of the Express & Star in 2000 as advertising director, and five years later joined the board of the parent company, taking over as managing director in 2008. He retired in 2012, after being honoured for 45 years’ service, remaining as a non-executive director for a short while.

Former Express & Star chief photographer Dave Bagnall recalled how 60 years ago his first newspaper photograph was of a teenage Alan when he was playing for a Shropshire schoolboys’ team.

“We became colleagues and friends when he joined the Shropshire Star advertising team at Ketley, I was working with him during the week at the Star and photographing him playing football for Telford on Saturdays.

“My wife Judith introduced her best friend Joanne Harper to Alan and in no time at all we became a foursome, dining out at The Huntsman in Little Wenlock twice a week and catering for each other at Jo’s and Judith’s family homes when their parents were away.”

Jo and Alan married in 1973, and had two sons, David and Nick, later moving to live in Much Wenlock.

Mr Bagnall remembered a number of memorable trips to the coast.

“On one occasion we were walking along the beach in Rhyl when Alan suddenly went quiet and started staring at a man sitting on a deckchair, I made the mistake of asking him why he was interested in the man,” he said.

“It was the former Wolves striker Ted Farmer and Alan spent the next half hour regaling me with goal scoring feats of the man he was obviously in awe of.”

He described another occasion when the two couples went on a day trip to Harlech, and took a picnic to eat on the beach.

“The weather was a bit cloudy and windy but we bravely decided to take a dip in the sea,” he said.

“When Alan was stripped down to his his swimming trunks he was highly amused when Judith asked why he was so muscular compared to me.

“His moment of glory didn’t last long! After a short swim in the cool Welsh waters we started our picnic but the muscle man was shivering and too cold to eat his sandwiches, now it was my turn to gloat.”

Mr Bagnall discovered just how fit his friend was when he joined him and Telford United captain Graham Carr - father of comedian Alan Carr - for a run up The Wrekin.

“We managed to keep up with him on the flat, but he left us trailing behind on the steep climb at the back of the hill,” he said.

“When we eventually reached the top he was doing press-ups so that he didn’t get cold waiting for us.”

“About a year ago Judith and I called to see Jo and Alan, he showed me his scrapbook of his football career and it included my picture of him as a lad scoring that goal.”

Former schoolmate John Lee-Wilson remembered how he stood out even as a youngster.

“He was head boy and exceptionally talented at all sports , also a great player for Telford,” he said.

Former MNA colleague Graham Evers said: “He was a professional, always enjoyable to work with but more importantly he was a good man. We are privileged to have known him.”

Widow Jo described her husband as a modest man who was nevertheless proud of what he had achieved in life.

“He was very much a family man,” she said.

“He was a private man, but he was very proud of his football career, and of his work for the paper.”

She said that in his spare time, he enjoyed playing golf for Wrekin Golf Club, and twice a week he would play crown-green bowls for Much Wenlock.”

Mr Harris died on Saturday (March 28) at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, where he was being treated for cancer.

Wife Jo was at his side.

As well as Jo, David and Nick, he leaves daughters-in-law Clare and Cherry, and grand-daughters Francesca and Natalia.